This invention relates primarily to electronic video gaming devices, and more particularly to electronic video slot machines that display multiple pay lines. While the present invention has many variations, the basic principle common to all of the variations is that the player selects two symbol locations from among all of the symbol locations on the slot reels. After the slot reels have been spun and the player is paid for any winning slot symbol combinations on active pay lines, the two symbol locations chosen by the player are switched between each other. The player is then paid for any more winning symbol combinations that the player has achieved after the switch.
There have been many types of slot machines that adjust the location at the slot reels after the spin of the reels has stopped. For example, there are slot machines that move a reel up or down one vertical reel stop location at the end of the initial reel spin. This gives the player the opportunity to receive a winning reel combination when one initially would not have existed.
Other proposed slot machines allow the player to respin the reels in attempt to improve the reel symbol combinations into a winning combination. U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,835 (Dietz) discloses a slot machine in which, after a losing spin of the reels, the player may select one or more slot symbols which are then respun in order to give the player the opportunity to achieve a winning symbol combination.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,977 (Bennett) discloses a slot machine in which a single slot symbol becomes a wild card and is moved through the matrix of reel stop locations in order to effect additional winning symbol combinations. The player is only awarded this feature when a certain predetermined arrangement of symbol combinations (a triggering event) appears during the initial spin of the reels. Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,013 (Bennett) upon the occurrence of a triggering event, one or more of the slot symbols are treated as special symbols such as wild card symbols or scatter pay symbols.
None of these slot machines allow the player to select his lucky reel stop locations prior to the spin occurring. It is an object of the present invention to provide a slot machine in which the player can earn additional payouts after the spin of the reels has been completed.
It is a feature of the present invention that the player selects two reel stop locations as his lucky reel stop locations. This selection is made prior to the spin of the reels. After the reels have been spun and the player receives any payouts to which he is entitled, the two reels stop locations selected by the player are switched. The game display is then reanalyzed to determine if any winning symbol combinations occur after the switch has taken place and additional awards are paid to the player for such winning symbol combinations.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the player is provided with a second opportunity to win awards on account of the symbol switching after the initial reel spin. This makes for a more entertaining slot machine experience and adds player interaction to the slot machine game since the player must select which symbols the player wishes to have switched.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,873 (Moody) (the disclosure of which is incorporated herein) discloses a multiple hand poker game in which three rows of cards are dealt to a player. The player makes a wager for each row of cards. One row of five cards are dealt all face up. The player selects none, one or more of the face up cards from the first row as cards to be held. The cards that are held are duplicated from the first row into all of the other rows. Replacement cards for the non-selected cards are dealt into the first row. Additional cards are also dealt to all of the other rows so that each row is a five card hand. The poker hand ranking of each five card hand by row is determined. The player is then paid for any winning poker hands based on a pay table and the amount of the player's wager.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a multiple hand video poker machine in which the player can earn additional payouts after the initial play of the multiple poker hands has been completed.
It is a further feature of the present invention that the player selects card locations in different rows as his lucky card locations. This selection is made prior to the play of the multiple hands. After the draw and replacement steps of the multiple hand game have been accomplished and the player receives any payouts to which he is entitled, the two card locations selected by the player are switched. The game display is then reanalyzed to determine if any winning card combinations occur after the switch has taken place and additional awards are paid to the player for such winning card combinations.
It is a further advantage of the present invention that the player is provided with a second opportunity to win awards on account of the card switching after the initial play of the multiple hands.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.